Pattie Gonia: Drag, Leadership and the New Face of Climate Activism
In recent years, celebrity leadership has changed dramatically. Today, influence is not only measured by wealth or fame, but by the ability to mobilise communities and shape the public conversation around social issues. Pattie Gonia, the drag persona of Wyn Wiley, represents this shift. Blending environmental activism, queer visibility and creative leadership, Pattie offers a new model of celebrity influence rooted in authenticity and purpose rather than traditional media or political gatekeeping.
This article explores how Pattie Gonia built a career at the intersection of entertainment and activism, how they use digital platforms to scale their message, and what this new form of leadership signals for businesses and audiences in 2025.
Who is Pattie Gonia?
Pattie Gonia is a drag queen, environmental advocate and creative community organiser whose work pushes for greater inclusion within both environmental spaces and the outdoors community. As Wyn Wiley, they began as a photographer, but Pattie emerged as a powerful creative force reshaping what leadership looks like in the climate movement. Their signature “eco-drag” brings runway fashion to mountain trails, ski slopes and forests, creating a striking visual language for activism. It is storytelling with immediacy, personality and purpose.
Activism and Social Mission
Pattie’s activism focuses on three major areas: climate justice, queer representation and accessibility in outdoor spaces. They challenge the long-standing idea that the environmental movement is a space reserved for certain identities. Instead of separating climate work from their queer identity, they intentionally combine both, arguing that lived experience should be the starting point for environmental advocacy.
Their drag outfits often feature upcycled or recycled materials, turning fashion into commentary on waste and consumption. But beyond the visual storytelling, Pattie channels their platform into direct support for grassroots organisations, helping raise millions of dollars for environmental and LGBTQ+ causes. This commitment to measurable change places Pattie among a rising group of public figures who see influence not as personal branding, but as community fuel.
Leadership and Building Lasting Impact
Unlike some celebrity activists who remain at a distance from organisational leadership, Pattie Gonia’s work is deeply structured. One of their major achievements is co-founding The Outdoorist Oath, a nonprofit committed to creating more inclusive and accountable environmental participation. The initiative encourages both individuals and businesses to adopt a deeper understanding of environmental responsibility, rather than focusing solely on aesthetics or surface-level eco-marketing.
They also support queer professionals through a free environmental job board, directly connecting LGBTQ+ applicants to climate-related work and sustainability roles. This shift from awareness to access is what makes Pattie’s leadership stand out. They are not simply influencing audiences; they are building pathways into long-term participation, employment and leadership within climate sectors.
This approach offers a notable case study for business leaders: modern influence is most effective when communities are empowered alongside messaging.
Projects Defining 2025
In 2025, Pattie’s work moves across the borders of entertainment, philanthropy and educational activism. Major projects include:
- SAVE HER!, a touring environmental drag performance blending live theatre with climate education
- a television project in development with filmmaker Bonnie Wright
- new music collaborations aimed at expanding drag as a creative medium
- ongoing fundraising events, community hikes and outdoor meetups
These projects signal a creative philosophy that activism should not be confined to press releases, lecture halls or charity dinners. Instead, Pattie brings advocacy into physical landscapes where climate impacts are felt most immediately. Performing in drag on a mountaintop is a statement: these spaces belong to everyone.
Social Media as a Tool for Mobilisation
Pattie Gonia is also part of a new wave of digital-first activists who use social media as a direct organising tool rather than a marketing platform. Their TikTok and Instagram content blends educational messaging, humour, emotional storytelling and visual spectacle, helping to open the environmental movement to audiences who may not connect with traditional campaigns.
Followers are not just viewers; they are participants. Pattie’s online presence generates donations, volunteer sign-ups, community attendance and expanded conversations around climate justice and queer belonging. In a digital landscape where attention is the most competitive currency, Pattie’s work shows that sincerity, creativity and a clear sense of identity can be more persuasive than conventional public relations.
Celebrity Influence in a Changing Era
Pattie Gonia represents the acceleration of a cultural shift already underway. Wealth and celebrity once came with the expectation of neutrality. Today, audiences reward public figures who take positions, connect their values to real action and bring communities along with them.
For business and leadership audiences, Pattie’s trajectory offers important lessons:
- movements are no longer driven only by institutions
- activism is more successful when it is emotionally resonant
- digital communities are powerful engines for real-world participation
- visibility is not about ego, but about representation
This style of leadership reflects where influence is heading: away from polished corporate messaging and toward honesty, lived experience and public accountability.
The Larger Picture
Pattie Gonia shows that environmentalism can be joyful, creative, queer, collective and deeply effective. They prove that activism does not have to be solemn to be serious, and community does not have to be traditional to be powerful. In an era of climate anxiety and cultural division, Pattie’s work introduces something rare: a sense of belonging alongside urgency.
Leadership now belongs to people who can build trust, tell stories that resonate and turn passion into structured action. Pattie Gonia is one of the clearest examples of this movement, demonstrating that modern celebrity influence is not just about visibility — it is about what you choose to do with it.
